Bat Conservation Ireland is delighted to invite you to the 11th Irish Bat Conference. This will be held in Riddel Hall, Queens University, Stranmillis Road, Belfast in March 2026. We are currently accepting abstract submissions for presentations from researchers, academics, bat groups, NGOs, conservation professionals etc. As part of this conference we would particularly like to hear from those who have worked on mitigation measures as part of developments where follow up monitoring has been carried out, for a bat mitigation session. Abstracts must be submitted by Wednesday February 4th 2026 for more details see abstract submission guidelines here.
We would also like to hear from companies that would like to consider taking a display space or sponsoring the conference. For more details on corporate sponsorship and display options please contact [email protected].
SATURDAY KEYNOTE PRESENTERS
Lothar Bach of Bach-Freilandforschung consultancy has been working on bats and wind energy for almost 30 years and Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) for over 18 years. He has also made extensive contributions to the EUROBATS Working Group on Wind Energy. He has carried out many research collaborations to accumulate a considerable body of work relating to impacts of wind energy on bats. Research topics have included estimating densities of migrating bats and development of suitable mitigation for ORE, investigating migratory pathways using stable isotopes, radiotracking studies in the North Sea and much more.
Dr Christina Stanley is an Associate Professor in Animal Behaviour and Welfare at the University of Chester, where she is currently Deputy Head of the School of Natural Sciences. She is a behavioural ecologist researching the social experiences of animals, with a focus on bats. Dr Stanley has focused on research with practical applications to conservation and the quantification of animal welfare. For example, a long-term project working with the endangered Livingstone’s fruit bat has significantly improved our ability to manage captive breeding populations of this and other fruit bat species. She is currently leading a Leverhulme Trust-funded project that will improve our ability to mitigate against anthropogenic impacts on wild lesser horseshoe bats. This project, named the “BATMAN” project (standing for “BAT Monitoring via novel Assays and smart Nanoelectronics”) and in collaboration with the Vincent Wildlife Trust, will also facilitate the assessment of wild bat welfare and design exciting new technology for monitoring small-bodied bats.
SUNDAY WORKSHOP PRESENTERS
Drone Thermal Imaging Bat Roost Surveys
Giles Coe is a commercial ecologist who has been in practice since 2001. He has worked at all levels within the ecological consultancy sector and since 2021 has run a small, dedicated company based in the south-east of England but with a project portfolio that stretches from Cornwall to North Wales and North-East Scotland. Giles’ work with bats has been ongoing since 2004 and includes surveys and assessments of large historic buildings, subterranean structures and factory complexes. Since 2023 Giles and team have been developing the use of drone mounted thermal imaging for bat surveys and had their protocol Bats & Aerial Thermal Surveys published in the CIEEM quarterly magazine.
Bat-friendly Lighting Design
Kerem Asfuroglu is the founder of Dark Source, an award-winning lighting design studio driven by environmental values based in Ireland & the UK. Following his graduation from Wismar University – Architectural Lighting Design MA in 2010, Kerem pursued his professional design career in London for nearly a decade before setting up Dark Source in 2019. He has been awarded with the title of Dark Sky Defender by the Dark Sky International for advocating the importance of darkness through design. Some of his environmental lighting projects include the Newport Dark Sky Masterplan, Plas Y Brenin Outdoor Centre, Presteigne Dark Sky Community, Cloughjordan Ecovillage and Cumbria TAN Dark Sky Planning Policy.
Tickets on sale now via our Ticket Tailor site here!
For accommodation options we are linked in with IBIS Queens Quarter. They have offered a 10% discount on their best available rate at the time of booking. Tel: 028 90 878 791 (use prefix 048 instead of 028 if dialling from Republic of Ireland); [email protected]. To avail of the discounted rate, you will need to quote 11th Irish Bat 2026, when booking directly with them. Their office hours are Monday to Friday – 9am to 5pm.